Deaf and Mute

On June 17, 1880 a beautiful healthy baby girl was born to Captain Arthur H. and Kate Adams Keller, that little girl was Helen Adams Keller. (Foster, Steele, Norwood, & Coleman, 2012) When Helen was 19 months old, she became ill with what was known as congestion of the brain and stomach; this is now known as scarlet fever. Her sudden illness left her deaf and blind. For many of her earlier years Helen lived in darkness with very few ways to communicate with others around her. Obviously her attempts were not always successful. When she failed to communicate she would throw fits and have outbursts that would upset her family. Imagine a life without being able to see or hear and not knowing how to communicate your needs or wants to anyone around you. Imagine how frustrating that would be. You might have a similar outburst. That world of darkness is what Helen Keller lived in for six years. When she was a child she was put under the care of Anne Sullivan Anne would become her lifelong friend and companion. Sullivan began to teach her by writing the name of the objects in Helen’s hand with her finger. Keller began to learn very swiftly. She started to write very quickly using a ruler to guide her sentences. This woman had been an inspiration to people everywhere, since she was a young child. She proved herself to be a creative and inspiring woman of the 20th century. She became a writer and lecturer not to mention a humanitarian. She fought for the rights of disadvantaged people from all over the world. I find the most important thing she accomplished to be the fact that she overcame her obstacle in life, being deaf and blind, and she managed to overcome them with grace and charisma. This woman devoted her entire life to improving education and treatment for people who are blind, deaf, and mute. She also fought for minorities. Keller was one of the first people to educate the public about the potential of inflicted individuals. She is considered to have had great

References: American Foundation for the Blind. (2012, 10 18). Retrieved from Braille Bug: http://www.braillebug.org/hkmuseum.asp Helen Keller International. (2012, 10 18). Retrieved from http://www.hki.org/about-helen-keller/ Foster, J., Steele, W., Norwood, M., & Coleman, C. (2012, 10 18). Helen Keller Birthplace "Ivy Green". Retrieved from http://www.helenkellerbirthplace.org/